Conventional non-lethal ammunition is launched with a kinetic energy sufficiently low to effect a non-lethal result upon target impact. To enable launching of ammunition at such reduced velocities (and hence with reduced kinetic energies), it is necessary to reduce the muzzle velocity. However, when utilizing non-lethal munitions, such as grenades, there is a danger that, even with reduced muzzle velocities, the projectile body itself may have sufficient kinetic energy to severely wound or damage a human target upon impact.
Further, when utilizing non-lethal munitions, such as non-lethal grenades, against inanimate targets, such as automotive windshields, etc., there is a danger that the projectile body will have sufficient kinetic energy upon impact to penetrate the target and harm surrounding human assets. Further, by reducing muzzle velocity, recoil impulse is also reduced, which frequently causes malfunctioning of the weapon operating system and fire control when firing the non-lethal ammunition from standard weapons. In addition, conventional non-lethal munitions are not range specific, i.e., they are meant to be used for targets within a wide range from the shooter, and are not tailored to targets within specific ranges.
Frequently, such conventional non-lethal munitions fail to reach reduced velocities (and thus reduced kinetic energies) before impacting the target, when the target is at a close proximity from the shooter, or are incapable of reaching targets at longer ranges, due to reduced velocities/kinetic energies at such longer ranges. Thus, many conventional non-lethal munitions are provided with detailed guidelines concerning target ranges, to minimize the occurrence of lethal impact or ineffectiveness. However, in combat situations, adherence to such guidelines is difficult and often overlooked.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a munition capable of providing recoil impulse sufficient to cycle standard weapons, while also providing optimized non-lethal effects at all target ranges. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a munition capable of achieving sufficient recoil impulse and kinetic energy to reach desired targets, while also being able to reduce the velocity of the projectile body to a non-lethal level before impact with the target, or be capable of decelerating the projectile body before impact with the target to avoid impact of the projectile body with the target altogether.